Americans to receive FEMA's presidential alert Wednesday

The warning system would give the president the capability to address the country through a personal cellphone during national emergencies.

Author:
Fredreka Schouten, USA TODAY

Published:
12:42 AM CDT September 16, 2018

Updated:
11:27 AM CDT October 2, 2018

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will test an alert that would allow President Trump to communicate with you via your cellphone during national emergencies Wednesday afternoon.

FEMA pushed back the test of a national system last month. The test will allows "presidential alerts" to hit the majority of cellphones to October 3 at 2:18 p.m ET. The goal is to warn residents of national emergencies, such as dangerous weather.

Some cellphone users will receive a message with a header that reads "Presidential Alert." The text then will say: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

Under federal law, users can opt out of the alerts for "imminent threats" and AMBER alerts about abducted children but "not for presidential messages," FEMA warns.

This will mark the first national test of the so-called "wireless emergency alerts." Congress authorized the public safety alert system in 2008. It began operating in 2012 and has been used regionally.